Development and Validation of a Tool to Measure Self-Confidence and Anxiety in Nursing Students During Clinical Decision Making

Abstract

Clinical decision making (CDM) is a cornerstone skill for nurses. Self-confidence and anxiety affect the learning and adeptness of CDM. This study aimed to develop and test a quantitative tool to assess undergraduate nursing students' self-confidence and anxiety during CDM. The 27-item Nursing Anxiety and Self-Confidence with Clinical Decision Making (NASC-CDM) scale is a 6-point, Likert-type tool with two subscales. Two samples of prelicensure associate and baccalaureate nursing students participated in the pilot (n = 303) and main testing (n = 242) phases of the study. Construct validity assessment, using exploratory factor analysis, produced a stable three-dimensional scale. Convergent validity assessment produced positive, moderate, and statistically significant correlations of the tool sub-scales with two existing instruments. Internal consistency reliability was assessed for each subscale (self-confidence, α = .97; anxiety, α = .96). The NASC-CDM scale may be a useful assessment tool for nurse educators to help novice clinicians improve CDM skills.